January 01, 1729
I have reflected this Day about the Events of the previous Year and find them to be at best, mediocre. My Performance was not up to the Par, and I hereby resolve to be a more energetic Person. I do not critise the
Quality of my Work, but the Quantity thereof. I simply did not accomplish Enough. There will be a Change in that Behaviour starting this Day.
I have been putting Thought into becoming more involved in the Business of Publishing. Thanks to my Brother, actually my half-Brother, James, I have become fluent in the English Language, and I give him many Thanks for the Opportunity to do so. Because of my Interest in English, I have also begun to study other Languages, including the German, the French, the Latin, the ancient Greek, and a Few Others. I find that there are many Commonalities in Each of these Languages, and Scholars indicate that Each of these have a common Root Language. I am particularly fascinated with the Dissolution of Declension and Inflection in the English as opposed to the Others.
For Example, the Latin has five Cases of Nouns, the German four, but in the English case is only evident in Pronouns, the normal Nouns having completely lost Distinction. Like the French, the English is mostly a phrasal Language, the Order of Words being of more Import than what is used in the Latin and the German. I have come to the Conclusion that this is a good Thing, because I find that the English is as much or more expressive than the others, and much more Simple. As an Example, the German has Sixteen Ways to say the Word "the", depending on Case, Gender, and Number. Likewise, there are Sixteen ways of saying "a", or "an" in the German, whilst our Rules only require that the Sound be correct.
This was a Digression from my real Thoughts, but not an insignificant Set of Facts. My Thesis is that the Power of the Press is huge. I strongly suspect that the Press will provide an Answer, or at a Minimum, beg the Questions, of the Evils that plague the Colonies. Fortunately, the current King may be able to read them in their native Form, unlike the previous King.
The Junto is in large Part a Piece of this Thought. The written Word has considerable Power, but that Power is amplified if proper Discussion with other People is taken as a regular Discipline. Of the few Things that I have seen to Compleation this past Year, the Junto is the greatest Thing. I envision a Community of interested Persons who will communicate by whatever Means is the most effective and so plant the Seeds of Liberty, and, after the Germination of those Seeds, ensure that they grow and thrive, even if after Centuries. Some Day there will be a reliable Postal Service, and, with the advances of Science, perhaps even more rapid Communications with like Minds. I can only imagine that Day. Would it not be a Marvel to have Communication with Thousands of Persons of like Mind, instantly? My Belief in Science is such that I hereby make the Prediction that one Day it will be a Reality. But, the Question to be begged is, Who would listen (or read), and take the Time to mull the Issues at Hand, and then respond with a sensible Comment or counter Argument? I trust that Some will.
Fatigue is rapidly taking my Mind, and I soon will be wrapped in the Arms of Morpheus. I wish Everyone well, although that is a Bit of a bold Statement since this Document is only for my Eyes only so as to remember this Day. My warmest Regards in any Event, Benj. Franklin